Monthly Archives: July 2016

This week, our FUTURES participated in their second EDM Day, where they learned Mental Health First Aid. With the FUTURES Strut quickly approaching, they are also working hard to prepare for their presentations. This week, Joseph, Peter and William discuss their seventh week at Netsmart.

Joseph Giardina: Software Engineer FUTURE

WOW! I can’t believe we’re almost done. It seems kind of weird that in just a few short weeks this internship will be over. I am astonished how much I feel that I have acclimated to Netsmart in such a short amount of time. Netsmart has done an exceptional job of making me feel like a real employee and not just an intern.

Starting as a FUTURE I was a bit nervous to work in the real world outside of academia, and had a few goals set forth that were very important to me. My main goal was to experience working in a real company. I assumed it was likely much different from school, and I was right. I wanted to prove to myself that I can work in a company, as I feel like I never know enough and there is always more to know.

My secondary goal was to learn just learn basically anything and everything that I could. With the help of my amazing mentor, David Fann, and my assignment which challenged me by introducing many new and unfamiliar technologies I definitely feel I have done just that.

I just completed my personal project and am currently working on a group project that includes myself and 4 other interns. Since we are completely in charge it is teaching me a lot about software development, and how it may not always go as planned. But as a group we were able to band together as a team and despite challenges I feel that our project is still on track and going strong.

One thing that Netsmart does that I feel is extremely important is that the interns work on real projects and features that the company really uses, and not just some intern project that will never be used. This was super important for me as it made me feel as if I am a valued associate not just an intern.

This was greatly conveyed to me in our group project. We currently are working on an app to make scheduling conference rooms easier. Throughout our time here we have heard time and time again about how much different associates, including executives, are looking forward to using this application. This makes me feel that what I’m doing matters, and makes me want to work hard and do everything to the best of my ability.

This is exactly the type of experience I was hoping to get out of the summer. It’s going to be weird going back to school, this experience almost makes me feel as if I already graduated and am in the workforce. The Netsmart FUTURES internship has surpassed my expectations in almost every way. The people are great to work with, my mentor is amazing, my fellow FUTURES are great, and I’ve learned so much.

Peter Geiss: Software Engineer FUTURE

After a month and a half at Netsmart, I have to say I’m impressed with the environment. This is my second internship (my first one was not at Netsmart) so my experience is slightly different from some of the other FUTURES but I feel like I also have a better base of comparison. At my last internship, we were given a project and told to run with it. However, we didn’t build a perfect project seeing as we lacked oversight such as QA and I’m still not sure if our project was ever actually used. Here, we have proper guidance and structure, and our projects are actually integrated into the solutions Netsmart provides. Likewise, our teams actually interact with us and act as mentors rather than just throwing us into the deep end like they did at my last internship.

It’s the Great River (NY – Long Island) office’s first time having FUTURES and they’re taking it in stride. We’ve recently had our primary summertime event called Coding on the Beach where the SWEs (not just the FUTURES) had a day of work at Robert Moses Beach. Prior to this trip, our manager surprised us by sending us (just the FUTURES) on an afternoon at the beach to check where the best internet reception was. We have a couple more FUTURES events scheduled, like an EDM day in the Bronx and a scavenger hunt throughout NYC, so I’m excited to see how they will turn out.

William Givens: Cloud Systems Engineer FUTURE

Working at Netsmart this summer has been great hands-on work experience. From day one I was working on projects that directly impacted clients and Netsmart. When a client decides to join the Netsmart family, new hardware is needed onsite to use our services. I have built, configured, and shipped over 30 routers and vpn appliances to client sites, enabling them to connect to our data center. I have also been doing a large amount of work inside Winchester Data Center. Having access to the Netsmart suite and the Allscripts suite I was able to complete several projects. I researched, configured, and installed remote console managers in both suites. These allow us to reach network devices even in the event of a catastrophic failure. On top of this I went through every piece of hardware in the data center and matched their network names to the asset tags, enabling easier communication between the network and facilities teams. This summer has granted me an abundance of new knowledge and experience that I will use throughout my entire career.

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Week six is here and between working and preparing for the upcoming FUTURES strut, our FUTURES are keeping busy. This week, Shaina, Austin and Jordan reflect on their experiences with the FUTURES program.

Shaina Bachelani: Finance FUTURE

The summer at Netsmart has been flying by for the FUTURES. It’s hard to believe we’re already on week six! We’ve all been pretty busy, but it’s been fun and definitely a good learning experience. As a Finance FUTURE, I’ve been working on a variety of projects. The biggest one has been analyzing expenses that have been incurred since January to see which vendors we spend the most with, as well as which departments those expenses come from. Some other projects that I’ve been working on have been looking at how the number of clients has changed by region from January of this year to now, and which of Netsmart’s products each region uses the most.

These past few weeks have been an awesome experience. I’ve learned so much and gotten to know some amazing people both on the finance and FUTURES teams. I can’t wait to see what these next few weeks have in store for us!

This week’s contributors, Shaina, Austin and Jordan, discuss the upcoming FUTURES strut, which will take place during their tenth and final week at Netsmart.

Austin Davis: Software Engineer FUTURE

Week six is here! We’ve come so far in such a short time. On Saturday there was R.Y.A.N., which was an event that promoted suicide awareness and prevention. It was such a great opportunity to hear the speakers tell their stories and raise awareness for such a great cause! You never know what other people are going through, and one of the event’s big messages was to remember that you are always needed. It was inspiring to see all the jerseys, which had Ryan’s name and team number, 5, on them.

I feel like the FUTURES this year have such a great, uplifting attitude and we’ve been able to grow as a team over the past six weeks. Netsmart has not only given us opportunities to grow in our skills with our jobs, but also to come together as a cause connected team through all the different events we get to participate in. Even during meetings with the engineers, we connect how our individual projects contribute to our clients, which I find exciting!

FUTURES work Netsmart’s EDM Foundation table during the R.Y.A.N. soccer tournament on Saturday, July 9 at the Olathe District Activity Center.

Jordan Erisman: Software Engineer FUTURE

The FUTURES program is past the halfway point, and I could not have asked for a better experience. As my first internship, I was nervous coming into the program. However, my mentor and team members have been extremely helpful. They have been more than willing to answer all of my questions and concerns. As a result, I have learned more than I thought possible in the last six weeks.

For the first five weeks, my project was to extract data from CareManager, which will later be used to predict patients’ risks for various medical conditions. For the remainder of the summer, I will be working on front-end web development. I am fortunate to get such a wide variety of meaningful work in the short, ten week program.

Along with projects for my team, the FUTURES have been working on a project to present at the end of the program in August. We have been making videos to display the daily lives of the Netsmart FUTURES, and how the work we are doing impacts the lives of our clients.

Aside from work, there have been several events for the FUTURES that have kept me busy. From Top Golf to weekly ultimate frisbee matches, there is always an opportunity to connect with other interns and associates from Netsmart. I have met some amazing people, and developed friendships here that will last a lifetime.

On Saturday, July 9, a group of FUTURES attend the R.Y.A.N. soccer tournament at the Olathe District Activity Center. The tournament promoted suicide prevention and awareness.

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This week marks the halfway point of our FUTURES program. We can’t believe how quickly our time with them is flying by and can’t wait to see what they accomplish over the next five weeks! This week, Dominik, Santosh and Reagan discuss their fifth week at Netsmart.

Dominik Haeflinger: Software Engineer FUTURE

The rest of the FUTURES and I have reached the midpoint of our summer here at Netsmart. The first half was very busy for me! With two projects completed, a bit of clerical work done, and a new project underway, I have learned an incredible amount. I’ve been working closely with a few of my co-workers on those projects and look forward to working with others as well throughout the next five weeks.

With the 4th of July on Monday, a new project starting on Tuesday, and the reality that we need to start working quickly on the FUTURES videos sinking in, the short week has gone by quickly with little downtime.

Although slow, I’m making progress on my current project and I know that there is already another one ready for me when I’m done with this one. With all the projects I still have left and helping with the videos for the FUTURES strut, I’m very excited for what is left and finding out how much more I can get done and learn in the last half of the summer.

Santosh Dandi: Delivery Analyst FUTURE

I am currently sitting at my kitchen table with only one thought in my mind. What happened in the last five weeks? Ever since I was given the opportunity to be a FUTURE at Netsmart, I haven’t stopped having fun. I have been constantly keeping myself busy, either training or enjoying what Kansas City has to offer. I’ve been truly blessed with the friends I’ve been able to make here. Friends I will never forget. There is really only one word I can use to describe my time here so far: adventure. That is what the Netsmart FUTURES program gave me, an adventure. In the next couple of paragraphs, I hope to give you a glimpse of my experience at Netsmart.

I have to be honest, starting out I was pretty nervous about this internship. I didn’t know what to expect. I really have to thank Ashley DeMond. She had the FUTURES get together on the first day and created an environment where I felt comfortable. I really enjoyed the Chick-fil-A that was provided, and it led to my first nickname, “fruit cup.” If you want the story on this, come talk to me. A couple days later, we had the kick-off party. My favorite memory here was the “talk to someone random every couple minutes” activity. This not only gave me the opportunity to introduce myself, but also to find out more about the people that are part of this awesome culture. I got to understand what it means to work at Netsmart. It was all about caring for people in any way, shape, or form. This is what I want to be part of.

Outside of Netsmart, the FUTURES have gotten together to do some exciting stuff, my favorite part was this past Monday. We decided to go watch the fireworks. The finale had me staring in awe. I am glad I got to share this with the FUTURES. My favorite part of everyday has been hanging out in the café at the end of the day trying to figure out what we were going to do that night. It usually ends up with us spending an hour in the café, not being able to make a decision. One of my most memorable memories is hanging out in a truck bed outside of Arby’s. We all went around and were able to share some great stories about each other.

I have spent so much time in Synergy C, that I now receive my mail here. Part of being a Delivery Analyst FUTURE, consists of training for five weeks. Week Three, we had PM training with Elaine, which I thought was challenging. I am the type of person that loves a challenge, so I found this to be very exciting. Week Four, we had a very fun training with Bradlee Ward. This week, we were given a choice between PM or CWS training. I was sad to see most of the new Consulting hires and a couple Consulting FUTURES head over to Synergy B. This meant that training was coming to an end. I’ve got to say, the Consulting FUTURES have been an awesome group to hang out with these past five weeks. I am looking forward to the next five weeks and hope they are as fun as the previous five.

Reagan Wood: Software Engineer FUTURE

This week marks the halfway point for the FUTURES program this summer. It is hard to believe that five weeks have already gone by! With work projects, numerous FUTURES activities, and lots of foosball, my time has been stretched thin. As a result, I would like to take the next few paragraphs to reflect on the first half of my Netsmart FUTURES experience and mention what I want to learn during the next five weeks.

Before starting as a FUTURE, I was excited and nervous about starting work. Excited because I knew I had so much to learn about software engineering, and also nervous because I wanted to rise to the challenge and succeed as a FUTURE. All school year I had been waiting for the chance to learn what real software development was like in the professional world, and I knew this experience would be a great opportunity to do just that.

My first few weeks as a FUTURE were great. I was placed on the myEvolv team. With a lot of work to do and meaningful projects, I was excited to get started. Things were tough at first, getting up to speed with the necessary information to be successful on my project was difficult. The good part was that my mentor, Brett Merriam, was always able to provide direction when I needed it. With his help, I was able to get going on my project and make some progress on it.

My project for the beginning of the summer was to integrate signing tablets into the myEvolv system. This would make it easier for clients to electronically sign documents, making their lives easier, and saving lots of paper in the process. The project has given me the opportunity to work with a lot of associates on the myEvolv team, and they have been nothing but helpful and supportive. I have learned so much about professional engineering, and what it means to be part of the Netsmart team!

Looking to the future, I want to keep learning more about software engineering and myEvolv. Additionally, I want to successfully complete my project within the next week and hopefully move on to other important things that need to be finished. My final goal for the summer is to beat my mentor in a game of foosball. Though many call him unbeatable, I have been learning his foosball weaknesses in an effort to exploit them and achieve a victory. All jokes aside, I’ve had a great time at Netsmart so far, and I look forward to another great five weeks!

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It was a busy week for our FUTURES! On Tuesday, they golfed, snacked and socialized with their mentors at Top Golf in Overland Park. They also spent Thursday at Ozanam for their first EDM Day, where they toured and assisted around the facility. This week, David, Tyler and Jake reflect on their fourth week as FUTURES.

This week’s blog contributors, David Schmitt, Jake Stansbury and Tyler Johnston participate in an EDM Day at Ozanam on Thursday, June 30.

Tyler Johnston: Delivery Analyst FUTURE

Coming to Netsmart as a Delivery Analyst FUTURE I really had no idea what to expect. That being said, as week number four comes to a close, I have been blown away. Working with the consulting team has taught me so much, not only about Avatar, but about the behavioral health field in general. I have developed a newfound respect for the work that is being done here, and the great people that make it happen. It is relieving to know that most of our training is behind us. As a Delivery Analyst we really hit the ground running but as a team we were able to learn so much about our solution, Avatar. We have learned how Netsmart’s solutions, such as Avatar, are helping our clients and the facilities they attend, such as Ozanam.

This week we also had the opportunity to enjoy an evening at Top Golf. Being that there is a variety of FUTURES this year, it is hard to get everyone in one place, and Top Golf was the perfect spot. It was a nice chance to really get to know the class and find out what different projects and teams everyone is working on. Here is a picture of some of the FUTURES, Mentors and I getting ready to swing the club!

FUTURES and Mentors spend their afternoon engaging in some friendly competition at Top Golf in Overland Park, KS on Tuesday, June 28.

David Schmitt: Software Engineer FUTURE

It’s hard to believe it’s already been four weeks since I’ve started working at Netsmart! As a Software Engineer FUTURE with the POV team, I am developing a dashboard web application that will automatically gather and display data about assessments that clients are completing through our ReachingRecovery app. I’ve been learning a ton so far, but every day I feel more comfortable and confident about programming different parts of the dashboard.

Working at Netsmart this summer has been a blast so far. This is my very first internship experience, and I never imagined enjoying it as much as I do. I feel like I’m actually contributing to my team with the projects I’m working on, and every day that I step into the Solutionarium I’m excited to see how much I can accomplish. My team is very kind and easy to talk to, and I know they are ready to answer any question I have if I need help. The daily meeting that my team holds to discuss our progress definitely helps me recognize more of the big picture for what goes into developing solutions.

The Software Engineer FUTURES also have a weekly meeting to discuss the progress we are making on our projects. I like hearing about the variety of projects other FUTURES are working on, and it’s good to hear from the FUTURES in New York about what they are working on, too. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone accomplishes in the next few weeks!

FUTURES work in the Ozanam greenhouse during their EDM Day on Thursday, June 3o.

Jake Stansbury: Finance FUTURE

Oh, what a busy week it has been. From working to Top Golf to EDM (Every Day Matters) Day, I have been having a full and fun week! To attempt to not be so repetitive I will just tell you about what we did on our Every Day Matters Day. With this being my second year as a Finance FUTURE at Netsmart, I have to say this EDM Day is one for the record books. For this EDM day we went to Ozanam to help out around their facilities and to learn from our client how Netsmart helps them in their daily lives. It was great to hear directly from clients about how Netsmart’s solutions and people have positively influenced their lives. Hearing from the client in-person helped me to be much more cause connected to what I am doing at Netsmart.

In addition to hearing from the clients about how Netsmart influences them, we helped around the facilities. Starting at about 9am until about 2pm (with a lunch break) we were working hard in two separate groups. One group was in the dorms painting walls and door frames. While the group I was in was outside working in the garden and greenhouse cleaning up the area, pulling weeds, organizing pots, moving rocks, and mulching. It was nice to be able to be outside working with my hands. I also really like to be able to help Ozanam clean up and improve their facilities to make their lives a little easier!

At the end of the day after we were done working we all played kickball with some of the kids staying at Ozanam. It was a beautiful day and so much fun to be able to play with the kids. Overall, I think the EDM Day at Ozanam was a success and I can’t wait for the next EDM Day planned!

A group of FUTURES and Netsmart’s new hire class participate in a kickball game with Ozanam residents during their EDM Day on Thursday, June 30.